Vice President and presidential adviser on overseas Filipino workers concerns Jejomar Binay will visit Malaysia for an official working visit May 28 and 29.

Binay will then go to the United States to attend a housing finance conference and Philippine Independence Day rites.

"I will be leaving for Kuala Lumpur on Sunday to attend the Philippine-Malaysia Investment Partnership Forum on May 27-29," he said on his Twitter account Thursday.

After his Malaysia visit, he said he will then proceed to the United States for two occasions.

In Washington D.C., he said he will be the closing speaker at the fifth Global Housing Finance Conference at the World Bank headquarters.

"I will also be attending the 114th Philippine Independence Day Celebration organized by the Philippine Independence Coordinating Council of Southern California," he said.

PHL-Malaysia investment

The Department of Foreign Affairs said Binay was invited as the guest of honor and keynote speaker at the Philippines-Malaysia Investment Partnership Forum on May 29.

"He will also have meetings with Foreign Minister Dato' Sri Anifah bin Haji Aman and Minister of International Trade and Industry Dato' Seri Mustapa Mohamed, where they will discuss ways of further advancing Philippine-Malaysian relations," the DFA said.

Binay is also the chairman of the Philippine Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council.

Philippine Ambassador to Malaysia Jose Eduardo Malaya said the Philippines and Malaysia are next-door neighbors and Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) partners.

"It is important that the national leaders of the two countries interact as frequently as possible, in order to fully tap the various potentials in the bilateral relations, starting with two-way trade and investments," he said.

During his visit, Binay will pay a courtesy call on former Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad.

He will likewise meet with Chief Scout Dato Sri' Dr. HJ Shafie HJ. Mohd Saleh and the members of the Scouts Association of Malaysia, as national president of the Boy Scouts of the Philippines.

Binay is also chairman of the Asia-Pacific Regional Scout Committee of the World Organization of Scout Movement, the umbrella organization of all Scout organizations in the world.

On the other hand, Binay will meet and interact with the Filipino community at the Embassy premises, as well as inaugurate the newly-renovated chancery building.

* investment forum

Expected to attend the investment forum, co-organized by the Embassy, the Asian Institute of Management (AIM) Alumni Association of Malaysia (Kelab AIM) and the Asian Strategy & Leadership Institute (ASLI), are business leaders from the Philippines and Malaysia.

They will exchange ideas how to further enhance economic and investment partnership.

Business guru and AIM founder Washington Sycip will give a lecture to formally inaugurate the Professor Gabby Mendoza Management Lecture Series during lunch.

The Genting Group is the main sponsor of the forum, while Petron Corporation is the strategic partner.  AlloyMTD Group (formerly MTD Capital Berhad) is a corporate sponsor, and Resorts World Manila will host the luncheon lecture.

Identified priority sectors to be taken up at the investment forum include tourism and tourism infrastructure, mass housing, real estate development, business process outsourcing/information technology (BPO/IT) services, logistics and supply chain, transportation, Islamic banking/finance, energy/electricity, and agro-business.

Surge in investments

The Philippines and Malaysia are experiencing a surge in two-way investments, as evidenced by the recent joint venture between PLDT Global and Axiata Corporation, investment of CIMB Bank in Bank of Commerce worth some RM1 billion (P196 billion), the expansion of operations of MTD Corporation and Genting Resorts World in the Philippines, as well as the entry of San Miguel Corporation in Esso Malaysia Bhd. through investments worth at least $610 million.

In 2011, Malaysia was the Philippines' ninth largest trading partner, with total trade amounting to $3.7 billion, while it was the Philippines' 11th largest export and eight largest import market.

Total Philippine exports to Malaysia in 2011 were valued at $1 billion, while imports from Malaysia during the same year amounted to $2.6 billion. — LBG, GMA News